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Senna's dad - Awesome car! Welcome to The Madness (otherwise known as Speedster/Spyder replica ownership)! Lots of bang for the buck!

 

If you're in SoCal, check the 'Events' thread for an upcoming cruise through Malibu and Channel Island Marina (Rudder Room in Ventura). We're meeting in malibu on Jan 25th. Hope to see you there. Meanwhile, enjoy the ride! 

Last edited by MusbJim

With an out-of-state titled car, the California registration using SB100 (specialty construction) is much easier if your car has at least 7500 miles on the odometer.  The rest of the process is fairly straightforward: get one of the 500 numbers allotted for that calendar year, go to California CHP for a VIN attachment and to prove parts aren't stolen, then go to a smog referree, then register.  You can Google California SB100 to get lots of info.  The Cobra guys' sites are very informative.  Best of luck and please let others know your experience.  I did it in Jan. 2013 and it was not too bad.

 

So I went to my local DMV on Wednesday, spent about 15 minutes with the inspector; he came back and gave me a referral form to go to the CHP to be assign a new VIN then come back to the DMV to finish the registration. Am I only two appointments away from getting a California registration? Seems like there should also be a required smog check certificate, but that was not mentioned.

 

Chamonix = Beck. Kevin Hines formed that company to build bodies and bonded chassis.
 
My Beck Speedster started out in Brazil and was finished in Bremen, IN.
 
The Beck process is now all done in Bremen, Indiana.
 
It's possible that Fibersteel bought a body from Beck and then finished the assembly.  This is what most likely came from Brazil http://www.beckspeedster.com/w...adeluxebodypack.html 
 
 
It sounds like you have a Beck Spyder pre-assembled body kit that was purchased by Fibersteel where the final assembly occurred. 
 
To be legal, it should be titled as an assembled vehicle, not a Porsche.
 
Carey Hines from Beck www.beckspeedster.com could probably help you locate the original Chamonix/Beck VIN number.
 
Originally Posted by Senna's dad:

Thanks guys, I was told the VIN plate is actually from a 1956 Porsche type 356.

The chassis and body is from Chamonix in Brazil and assembled by Fibersteel.

 

Last edited by Tom Blankinship

Senna's dad,

Just be glad that you're not registering your Spyder in Connecticut.

The personal property tax on a 356 VIN would knock your sox off!

 

The Oregon title on my VS identified it as a "1957 Porsche" with "Replica' in a little comment box near the bottom of the certificate... which wasn't noted in the new registration. So my town tax assessment was based on the Blue Book value of a classic vintage Porsche...ouch!

 

The disinterested state DMV wanted big, big bucks to shuffle through their archives to recover the Oregon certificate and correct the mistake. Fortunately I live in a small chummy town, where nearly everyone is on nodding acquaintance, and am able to have the tax collector "adjust" the annual assessment.

 

 

 

 

If the current title says anything other than VW you are looking at potential problems getting it registered in California.  I'm not saying that it can't be done, but potentially you will need an SB100, which won't be cheap.

Personally, I won't buy a car from out of state unless it is registered as a VW in the state it is coming from.

The same issues apply to many other states as well.  Buyer beware.

New VIN plates (small silver aluminum) are readily available ($8.75 for Reutter from Klasse356).  DMV is looking for the "stamped in the chassis" official number.  The 356 was a unibody car unlike the removable "chassis" VW pan so near impossible to reuse the 356 under body.  Although most Speedsters use a VW pan - only a few Spyders do.  You need to post some interior/under body shots to determine basis for your car. 

 

Greg, it looks like a Vintage Spyder to me. No pan, just custom mid-engine frame and a VW beam, motor and trans. Coilover rear suspension so no torsion tube in the back. So pretty much go with SB100 in Cali.

 

Wendler made the original bodies so a data plate from there would be a nice touch instead of Reutter.

Last edited by DannyP

So I went down to my local CHP office two weeks ago with an appointment with a nice officer, whom looked over my paper work from the DMV, checked the serial number stamped on the chassis frame (which matched the one stamped on a Porsche VIN ID plate) and signed off on the inspection – it took all of 15 minutes.

Last week I took the above CHP signed DMV form back to the DMV, this time it took about 45 minutes and the nice lady wrote a number on the form to take to the BAR station to get my smog exemption.  I think I’m almost done with one more trip back to the DMV.

Hi all, I'm another new CA based member looking for some help in registering an out of state VS. Buying a Speedster is an itch that I have been meaning to scratch for quite a while and just over a week ago I purchased a VS Speedster from Park Place Ltd in Bellevue. I haven't collected the car yet as I am told that the Statement of Origin will take approx. 4-6 weeks to arrive (another story!). This is the car:

 

http://www.parkplaceltd.com/sp...al_~ExteriorColor_/1

 

To be honest I was completely oblivious about the potential pitfalls of registering an out-of state car in CA. I'm now a bit more enlightened although my head is spinning from the range of different views/experiences that I have seen on the forums. The car is titled as a pre-1974 VW in WA but I understand from recent postings it appears that it is no longer acceptable to register the car in CA using the VW VIN. As the car only has circa 550 miles on the clock I was also getting very concerned that I wouldn't be able to successfully use the SPCN/SB100 process, until I read Senna's recent post about his experience.

 

Senna, what you have just been through is the closest experience I have found to my own situation. Can you let me know which DMV/CHP offices you used to register your Spyder? I am in North California but if I'll be happy to travel if it means the difference between success and failure!

 

Sorry to post yet another lengthy post on this topic but you’re your advice has clearly helped a number of newbies successfully navigate through this process and I appreciate the opportunity to tap into your collective wisdom! Best Chris

Hi Chris,

 

The best advice I can give you is to keep your cool.  Specialty construction registration is only a TINY % of vehicle registrations in CA.  There are about 35,000,000 registered vehicles in CA, and only about 3,000 vehicles have registered with SB100 or specialty construction. 

 

That tiny percentage means that only a very few DMV folks have any experience with the process.  It can be done, and it's lots easier if you stay focused and polite.  It worked for me, even though I was refused initally.  I gave the manager my cell number, and she called later in the day to invite me back to complete the process.  Please keep the group informed as you go through the steps.  It helps those who will use the process in the future.

Chris;

I am not so sure that you can not register, this car with your WA. state VW title.  The only unknown for me, is if CA. DMV, inspects cars from out of state. Obviously if they do, then that blue beauty, does not look like any 1974 VW.

 

The SPCN, is certainly the best way to go, just a little extra work.

California, does inspect cars from out of state. they want vin# that is physically on car to match vin# on title. It could be a dune buggy or speedster on a vw chassis. they don't care what it looks like as far as the "body". I just registered two vehicles from WA state into Cali (not replicas) but was told by inspector that this was the process for out of state transfer by the nice lady inspector and that included a replica or a dune buggy on a vw titled car.

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